A study in Journal of Medical Internet Research piloted IntelliCare, a suite of interactive depression and anxiety apps.
The researchers — led by David C. Mohr, PhD, of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies at Chicago-based Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine — developed the app suite, which is designed for frequent, but short, interactions. For the study, they identified 99 participants to use the app suite in an effort to evaluate its efficacy at reducing depression and anxiety symptoms.
The participants, who received eight weeks of coaching on the use of IntelliCare, had access to 14 IntelliCare apps. The majority of participants, 95 percent, downloaded at least five of the apps. On average, participants used the apps 195.4 times over the course of eight weeks; the average length of use was 1.1 minutes. Overall, participants showed reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms, based on patient questionnaires.
The researchers concluded, "This study supports the IntelliCare framework of providing a suite of skills-focused apps that can be used frequently and briefly to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety."